Friday, 8 December 2017

With winter well and truly upon us and Christmas heading our way faster than I was ready for, it is time to add a little festive spirit with some Boozy Baileys Real Hot Chocolate, topped with these super-cute Christmas marshmallows.

Nothing speaks to me of winter more than cold, crisp, wrapped-up walks along the coast, blasted by brisk, icy, sea winds which chill fingers and noses and bring the welcome opportunity to clutch a hot mug of chocolate in gloved hands to thaw on the radiated heat. It's all part of the deal..... The excuse for hot chocolate comes from the need to warm up..... which means getting chilled a little first! It tastes better that way....

There are of course, two things better than hot chocolate..... Hot chocolate with marshmallows and better still, hot chocolate with Baileys and marshmallows. A perfect winter treat, don't you think? Of course, the marshmallows are always optional,...... although once you have tried hot chocolate with Baileys, you may find this to be less of a discretion.....

If you have never made your own real hot chocolate, then it is time to make amends..... Made with real cacao (I use block cacao or drops) and milk, it packs a deep chocolate punch which is full of antioxidants..... Perfect for helping to fight those winter bugs.

Because you add your own sugar, it also tastes more natural and less sweet. You even get to choose whether you add bog standard caster sugar or opt for the caramel notes exploited from using either brown or coconut sugar.

Admittedly, it's slightly more effort to make than the commercial powdered stuff you find in a jar, but it is so worth it. Besides..... a little decadence and pampering once in a while is important to our mental health...... right? And since cacao is also know for its serotonin-boosting properties, you can reassure yourself that this treat is true happiness in a cup.

I am sharing my Boozy Baileys Real Hot Chocolate as part of the seasonal #FreeFromChristmas offerings brought to you by our amazing group of Free From bloggers. For those of you who have never come across us, we post themed free from recipes each month and between us, we cover all the top allergies and intolerances and more. So whether you are celebrating a free from Christmas yourself, or catering for someone else who is, make sure you check out the blog list below...... we are sure between us to provide recipes and inspiration for every intolerant eventuality.

Actually, this post is pretty timely.... I notice that Rebecca (who blogs over at Glutarama) has just posted her all home-made Dairy Free Baileys Liqueur Recipe..... So if you are dairy-intolerant and can't drink the 'traditional' stuff, make your own and be sure to drop a little into your hot chocolate.

I realised of course, after I had taken the photos for this post, that I had neglected to pose the Baileys bottle in the pics..... I think I was too eager to drink, but rest assured, this favourite of tipples is mingling within and boy, does it taste incredible..... That warming, alcohol-tinged, creamy, whiskey backdrop is unmistakable.

As for the snowmen? Well, it would be impertinent not to give a nod to the up-coming celebrations... Besides, they are so cute, I couldn't resist popping a couple in the cup to cheer things along.

Method

Prepare your Festive Marshmallows first : Cut large marshmallows in half widthways and place them (cut side down) on a piece of baking paper.

Use a tiny dab of writing icing to glue chocolate drop eyes to the mallow tops.

Using a sharp knife, cut the candy melts into triangular segments for the carrot noses and stick in place using a dab of writing icing (or if using writing icing for the noses, draw triangles on to the mallows).

Draw mouth lines using writing icing.

Put aside to set.

Hot Chocolate : In a small saucepan, melt the cacao over a very low heat, stirring continuously.

Add the milk a little at a time over the heat, stirring into the cacao. As the milk heats, the mixture will blend, but don't worry if it seems a little grainy at this stage.

Add the sugar to taste and stir to dissolve.

If the mixture is still grainy, use a whisk or blender to fully combine, before pouring into your favourite mug.

Add a tot of Baileys and stir before topping with marshmallow snowmen.

Absolutely Monika. Baileys in HC is a revelation..... Not sure I will be able to have it any other way now.... Mind you Miss GF has her eye on it too.... Not sure how much longer I will be able to protect her from a little tipple in her chocolate?!

I saw these snow face marshmallows being retweeted on Twitter and social media and they made me smile. Bailey and Hot Choc together, def. a different level of appreciation when its proper cold and snowy outside.

That's a shame. It is so much nicer home-made..... I always think there is nothing that a quick whisking won't sort! Baileys is absolutely perfect in the cold though and takes hot chocolate to a better place.... x

I'm completely with you. A good winter's walk in the cold is the perfect prerequisite for a mug of hot chocolate. I'm intrigued by cacao drops. I only now about Willie's cacao blocks. Bailey's sounds like a wonderful addition. I might even brave the rain so I can reward myself with one of these later this afternoon. The marshmallows are wonderfully cute too. Thanks for sharing with #WeShouldCocoa. AND Happy New Year.

Thanks Choclette..... and Happy New Year to you too. The rain is worth braving if this is your reward! I think I got the Cacao drops in Tesco..... they were in the aisle with the drinking chocolate.... 100% cacao drinking chocolate drops.... lush! I think they are probably just like Willie's Cacao blocks, but shaped differently. x

I also love 'real' hot chocolate. It's just so so much better than the oversweet powder, isn't it? It's my favourite treat if we've been out and rained on :) Your festive marshmallows are so cute too! I thought you'd put carrot bits there until I read the instructions and saw it was candy melts :)

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I'm Kate, author of the Gluten Free Alchemist blog.

We love sharing our gluten free recipes, baking and product reviews and our experiences of travel and parenting. We embrace Coeliac diagnosis without fear and enjoy the adventure and challenge it has given us.

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